CALGARY- The province is set to meet with Canmore residents who are facing an uncertain future, after their mountain homes were destroyed by the devastating June flood.
“It’s a nice house, now it’s gone. I think it’s like a dead body,” says Marion Kutzer, of her Canmore home. It was nearly washed away by Cougar Creek, which turned into a raging river during the floods, washing away foundations and part of the Trans-Canada Highway.
“We are a case number. To us, this is our whole life savings,” she cries. “I want to be able to rebuild.”
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The Kutzers home has been deemed too unsafe to inhabit, but so far there is no decision on how to proceed. The couple says that dealing with government bureaucracy is nearly as difficult as dealing with the loss of their home.
“Now, we just have to fight for rebuilding our life,” says Paul Kutzer. “To these people making decisions, come and walk in my shoes for day.”
The creek has since returned to its quiet ways, but so far no flood mitigation has been done.
“We can’t change anything until we have a plan, and all we have is the existing infrastructure,” explains Sally Caudill from the Town of Canmore.
Researchers are now taking soil samples to find out where the water has historically been, and studying what’s likely to happen in the future. However, it’s unlikely that any changes will be made to the creek bed, before next spring.
The information meeting for flood affected residents starts at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, at the Radisson Hotel.
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